Precious
by hanareader
Summary: She didn't understand. Nearly every morning, at the least four times in a week, Naruto and Sasuke are late to their meeting at the bridge. But more importantly, they're dead. (Or the story of lonely boys doing stupid because lonely, but Sakura won't let either of which happen on her watch. Not to her precious peoples.)
1. Chapter 1

She didn't understand.

Nearly every morning, at the least four times in a week, Naruto and Sasuke are late to their meeting at the bridge. But more importantly, they're _dead_.

"What happened to you two?" Sakura asked, already knowing their answer.

"Ah! I fell out of my bed again, haha, guess I should start sleeping on the floor-"

"Hn."

The two of them, looked away from her simultaneously, and her body prickled uneased. She hated being left out of the loop, their team dynamic. And not knowing something. She should've figured it out by now… or at least made Naruto spill.

"Well!-" she started, without a plan of how to finish her sentence. How can Sakura ask aloud… whether or not they even slept last night, when they're bodies looked so beat up?

Naruto was better off, of course, like he usually is. His orange jumpsuit was only a little bit torn, his hair mussed more than usual. Still, he walked with such a sprig in his step, the strained gait unnoticeable to an untrained eye. Not hers. But despite all, he's not tired. Naruto was always first to always recover in their team, with plenty of energy to spare. Sakura would be envious if she could explore the feeling further. Unfortunately, she knew only too well how quick Naruto gets himself into trouble… and whether that was on account of the immense stamina he holds, she doesn't know, but.

He certainly needed it more. He's not as bedraggled as Sasuke-kun.

Oh. Crap. Sasuke.

The boy looked as if he's coming down with the flu, red nose, cheeks, the works, but Sakura had calculated that it's not another four months until flu season… not to mention they've all been vaccinated prior to graduation. Flipping through the pages in her mind, she knew for sure that they haven't interacted with anyone sick in the past week, their recent mission of rearranging the village library took a total of 12 days, 5 of which were supervised by Kakashi-sensei, the rest by an unknown chuunin. Neither of them were sick, not her, and definitely not Naruto, the kid has an iron body.

Then-

She thought she knew Sasuke, who'd never spend recreation time with anyone. Well, whoever he was with she already doesn't like them, and it's not because that girl is potential competition. No, of course not.

(Okay… maybe a little.)

She just doesn't want him to get sick, he doesn't heal like Naruto can, and well, he doesn't have anyone at home to take care of him. Unfortunately, he's showing all the worst symptoms, breaths out his mouth, pale skin colored weak, red-dark circles, blue veins protruding-

"Sasuke-kun, would you like to visit the Nara compound?" she asked, innocently, already planning on barraging him with medicines to carry home. Vitamin C capsules, acetaminophens… "Kakashi-sensei has warned us that, you know…"

"What?" he said abruptly. Dark eyes looked (glared) at her.

She blushed. "Well, that our next mission will be longer and more strenuous. We might not get enough time to eat. We should stock up on fresh rations and chakra pills, they expire fast. Naruto too," she looked at the hyper ninja of their team, forcing him with her eyes to agree with her. "Well?"

"But Sakura-chan! Rations are icky, I have lots of travel ramen saved up-"

"We can't cook during a mission!"

"It's just boiling water, I'll ask Sasuke-teme to warm it with his fire jutsu."

"It's a matter of time and convenience, we can't stop to boil water for ramen." Probably.

"Then…" Naruto paused to think, his face scrunched up in a pout, eyes squinted. "Well, I could just soak the ramen cold?"

Ugh. Ew. Sakura couldn't help that her lips curl, she would normally want to keep her face pretty and serene in front of Sasuke but this is a moment that warrants abject disgust. God, Naruto…

The image of bloated pale noodles… she shivered.

"Please don't. I think that'd make you sick." _It's about to make me sick!_ Her inner yelled. Sakura shook her head of her other self, and the visuals. Time to retreat and drop the conversation, she'll think of another plan later.

"Nevermind."

* * *

Correction. Fifth time this week.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The older ninja looked up from his porn book momentarily, to acknowledge her (she could never tell if he was still reading or noticing, though he is a ninja at multitasking).

She progressed with plan B. Snitch. "Do you know what's wrong with Naruto and Sasuke, they don't appear as fresh as usual."

Kakashi closed his book with a clap, and gave her his full attention.

"You're right, good observation."

 _Yes!_ Inner Sakura pumped a fist, and Outer nodded wisely. She was glad that she hadn't been imagining things herself… and now, Kakashi will be on her side.

"Everytime I ask I can tell they're lying to me…" she trailed, her voice despondent. She doesn't like to be left out from the boys, but such a thing happens far too often than she can count. "I don't know why."

"Maa, Sakura-kun, don't worry so much about it. They're here, aren't they?" Kakashi crinkled at his one eye, and cocked his head north. They both looked up far ahead of them where Naruto and Sasuke were walking, or rather arguing along the beaten path, orange and blue. Her sensei rested a hand in her hair, ruffling the style that she carefully prepared that morning.

"Sensei!"

He (of course) dodged the offense against his gloved hand. His mask twitched at the corners.

* * *

Tch. She'd have to find out by herself.

* * *

It's been _four hours_.

Sakura understood that boys will be boys, and her boys at that will be even more immature (including Sasuke) but this… this was absolutely ridiculous.

They continued to spar, if that was what this could be called, because she wouldn't label this as light of a term as 'sparring'. Naruto and Sasuke fought, taijutsu only as they've long ran out of chakra, their fists all that's left to their name. They're violent, fatal blows barely dodged, dirty tricks used and abused. Naruto was an orange blur, his pranks coming in handy now, Sakura would bet, as she watched him hold his own against Sasuke. Her Uchiha, on the other hand, was much the same, Sharingan blazed to aid his taijutsu, his legs moving so _fast_.

This was a death match.

She never got the impression today that they were upset at each other, at least nothing more than usual. And she had stalked followed them all day, her steps quiet, controlled chakra muted to invisibility, tracking skills put to the test. Nothing. Nothing except this _war_ , one that she could tell will only end in one of two ways.

Hospitalization and hospitalization.

 _Why are boys so stupid?_ Sakura asked herself, as she hid crouched within the cover of a tree, her perch that gave her unlimited access to the scene happening before her. She gripped the branch she sat on and shook her head sadly.

Well, she might as well watch them, and help them to the clinic after they're "done". Sakura rolled her eyes.

That time was coming closer. Naruto was too slow to escape, Sasuke took advantage swiftly, and got the handle on him. With a kick to the head, _down_ , into the dirt, Sakura winced and hissed in empathy, Naruto was no more. He didn't move from his spot, didn't start another of his cool stupid speeches that Sakura would deny to the grave ever being inspired by (though Inner liked hearing them). He's eerily quiet, and she was worried.

….Actually, she shouldn't have bothered.

In moments so fast she couldn't track (in her defense she closed her eyes because she couldn't bear to see Naruto beat down like that) Sasuke too fell to the ground. Sakura doesn't know what exactly happened, but she could guess that Naruto had an out-of-the-park plan like always, the crazy idiot. Her Inner cheered (that traitor) Outer Sakura gasped for her Uchiha, who now laid in the grass, spent, next to Naruto. They've exhausted everything, the match had finally come to an end. A draw.

Not the first draw they've had, if the relaxed smiles (smirk on Sasuke) on their faces is anything to go by. Then again, _five times every week_ , maybe more.

Sakura and Inner are reminded, grow incinerated, anger boiling red hot through her veins. Her green eyes glowered. This was the stupidest training ritual they could ever have that she was made to watch and she's about to go give them a piece of her mind: about safety and stress and muscle tearing and chakra _abuse_ -

"Nah, Sasuke, can you walk?" Sakura paused at the question.

"Hmph. Can you?"

Naruto took time, a full twenty seconds (she counted!) to turn to the other boy, his body so strained he couldn't move his muscles much at all. He grinned widely.

"Nope!" he said with stupid pride.

Sasuke snorted, his tiredness apparent, but a relaxed countenance showed across his face. She could see his head rested against Konoha grasses, eyes turned to the sky and stars.

"Is that so?" he asked with small smile. His eyes were closed.

Naruto shifted back on his back, raggedly breathing, until he too closed his eyes.

"Mmhmm. Bet you didn't expect my sneak attack…"

"Hnn."

"And-" Naruto yawned widely, Sakura could only copy him, it _was_ late. "I got you with my paint bomb…"

"Hn."

"Did you...?"

"Mm."

"Good-" Naruto tried to finish his sentence, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a violent snore.

"-night."

* * *

Oh _crap_. They're asleep.

* * *

The first rule of a ninja is to not sleep undefended, and her boys are breaking that rule through and through.

Sakura jumped out of her perch on the tree, landing next to where they lay. Naruto had his arms spread wide, inviting all points of weakness, tender areas where an enemy ninja can strike. He had a smile on his face, like hell that'd stop anyone, and Sakura wanted to smack that smile off and awake and _safe_ -

Sasuke-kun wasn't any better.

He's curled (cute), pale arms crossed at the chest, at least protecting something. But that doesn't excuse the fact that he's dead to the world, they're both asleep, unprotected in an open clearing of one of Konoha's many practice fields, the easiest entrance for foreign mercenaries…

Sakura could punch a wall, but that won't solve anything. She doesn't know what to do.

She's definitely not leaving them here, but she fully believed they needed hospitalization, one night, or at least a check-up visit. She can't carry them both herself, her clones won't last very long, Sakura frowned in thought, and the way back to the village takes approximately 50 minutes on foot…

Sakura lowered herself to her knees, decided on Naruto first.

She slapped his cheek repeatedly.

"Naruto… Naruto, you baka, wake up, I can't carry you!" her hand started to sting but she didn't care. This idiot had to get up.

The idiot in question only opened his mouth and drooled in response.

"Mmm… Sakura-chan~" he said with a creepy smile.

She almost _screamed_.

Promptly giving up on him, she does _not_ want to learn more what dreams he's currently having of her, Sakura focused on the other sleeping boy.

"Sasuke-kun?" she hesitated to touch him, not because she's afraid of what he'll think but… Inner was getting too excited, and she doesn't trust her hands.

Maybe she shouldn't enjoy this too much.

"Um, Sasuke-kun," Sakura rested a palm on his shoulder (that's safe, right?) and shook lightly. "You need to wake up, please, you shouldn't sleep here."

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, she did watch them for four hours) the pale boy didn't make any response. He only groaned and curled even further.

This wasn't working. They're too passed out to move.

With a whispered message to her parents who were expecting her, _Sorry, mom and dad,_ Sakura made her seat where she was, swiped at the grasses beneath her for bugs and tried not to get too comfortable.

Now to keep herself sentry and awake… Sakura steeled her eyes, stifling her growing yawn.

She's a kunoichi, she could do this.

* * *

(Dammit.)

* * *

Sakura groggily filtered through her morning brain the sound of conversation, of Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei's voices and… Pakkun?

"-it's surprising to find one's students attend later than their teacher. Should I get into the habit of tracking you all every morning?"

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, we were just getting in extra training!"

"She's awake." Sasuke stated simply. Pakkun hummed in agreement.

Sakura blinked. Her eyes noticed through the soft early sun-lighting, her team, Naruto who grinned at her with a thumbs up, Sasuke who rolled his eyes, Pakkun who raised a furry eyebrow, and Kakashi-sensei who eye-crinkled smiled.

Her mind freezes with realization at the sleeping position she's in, legs cracked indecently wide, crusty mouth and eyes, Ino who's always teased with a laugh _'you snore like a sheep'_ , and she hasn't washed her face, brushed her teeth, her insane bed-head-

Sakura eep-ed, sat up with a start and snapped her knees shut. She blushed all the way up to her ears, shades pinker than her hair. This was the worst!

"Good morning Sakura-chan, are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?" Naruto was too close for comfort.

Indecisive between pushing Naruto away and/or retreating back to sleep in the hopes that'd she'd forget, (Oh, no, Sasuke was watching!), she slapped her hands over her face, ashamed.

"I can't believe you didn't wake me up!" she berated herself, her Inner crying, _I wasn't supposed to fall asleep!_

"You looked so tired, we figured we'd wait until you woke up and then leave together… and then you slept in, I guess," Naruto scratched the back of his neck, smiled wide at her. Sasuke harrumphed, and Sakura blushed even further, if that was possible.

She hugged the orange jacket closer, only belatedly realizing what she was holding.

"Naruto!"

"Well, you were shivering so I-" he trailed.

 _What about you?_ Sakura thought, and she doesn't know exactly when this night sparring started, but if Naruto was already getting used to the cold…

"-I'd have given it to Sasuke-teme over here, but he'd probably set me on fire."

"Hn."

"Well," Sensei started, interrupted the conversation and her growing thoughts, and Sakura rubbed at her eyes to focus on him. The morning glare was blinding, she suspected he probably knew and did that on purpose somehow. Kakashi-sensei smiled. "Since we've all gathered and rested nicely maybe everyone's ready for some training?"

* * *

She'll never, ever sleep in again. Kakashi-sensei didn't hold back _at all_.

* * *

Though Naruto and Sasuke have recovered somewhat. They (or just Sasuke) struggled through the mission for that day, as if their fight never happened. Orange and blue, yet again, pushing each other as they walked down Konoha streets to the marketplace. She didn't know where they get their energy, but it's tiring to keep watching them. And annoying, (maybe she was a little envious). Sakura now had the sniffles, violent and red and wet, but at least she figured out why Sasuke's getting sick.

He's apparently been sleeping in the open air just like she did (unwillingly) the cold spring nights and even colder mornings, no blanket, no pillow, no shelter, and Naruto too-

Maybe the imaginary competition girl would've been better. She slumped.

* * *

If Naruto won't spill a word, Sakura mused as she walked toward her other teammate, she'd have to try her luck with Sasuke.

(Now that she knew _what_ , she just needed to find out _why_ …)

"Sasuke-kun?"

The pale boy turned to her, a thin eyebrow raised. Sakura steeled herself.

Honesty is the best policy and all. She didn't think she could lie to him very successfully, not for a second time (and it is Sasuke-kun looking at her). She gripped her red qipao to steady herself.

"I was watching the two of you fight yesterday…" Her clothing twisted in her hand and she turned away from dark eyes. Sakura didn't feel ashamed for following them, though she should. The only thing laid heavy and churning in her stomach was worry, leftover upset, and granted, a little bright curiosity. She allowed the first feeling to seep into her voice. "Why would you fight so hard… until you both passed out?" she asked, earnestly curious.

Sasuke's face slackened, shock, she thought, though rare for him to show any emotion she's kind of proud to achieve such a reaction. She should be the one in shock, however. Sakura waited.

"I forget." Sasuke said, uncharacteristically muted, and… shy? Sakura's face frowned.

"You forgot 'why'?"

"No…" He shrugged. "I just forget the state of my body, that's all."

Her green eyes squinted thinly, pink eyebrows furrowed, another ugly face, but she's confused.

"That doesn't make any sense." She stated without of lick of restraint. Sasuke flushed in embarrassment.

"Hn." He said, eyes averted.

Sakura processed her recent words, calculating in her brain, and then- "I mean, I'm sorry I was rude, Sasuke-kun!"

He's silent.

"I'll just leave you alone now…" she said guilty, shuffling away. _Escape_.

* * *

 _That was a bust._ Inner commented needlessly. Outer could only nod in morose agreement.

* * *

It'd become a habit now.

In her state of constant worry over Sasuke-kun (and a little bit maybe Naruto) she started attending their fights consistently. Sakura still wondered over the reasons why, still hid herself away from their presence (though she thought, they probably knew she was there) and still kept guard (tried being the key word) when they surely fell asleep. She couldn't do this all the time, her parents were waiting at home for her, but she wanted to. It's just not safe…

But. She refused to be stupid, like her teammates. She prepared, and now expecting the final result, she brought defenses.

Now, she waited.

"Ah, such soft blankets, mind if I have one?"

Sakura almost fell out of the tree.

With a hand clutching her racing heart, chakra control being the only saving grace to her name and her _life_ , she bottled the high-pitched yelp inside her. Her eyes glared at her sensei.

"No!" _I almost died!_

"I'm hurt, Sakura," Kakashi-sensei said with a masked smile. He squatted a meter away, on _her_ branch. He shook his porn, waving it side-to-side like it was a finger. "What if I get a cold?"

"Then bring your _own_ ," She whisper-yelled, hugging the blankets and pillows tightly to her chest. These were for Sasuke and Naruto and not herself because she's technically supposed to keep guard.

( _Though that never actually happened,_ Inner piped and Sakura blushed.)

 _Shut up._

"That woe-is-me act won't work, sensei." She said, as Kakashi sniffled sadly and wiped at (nothing!) his mask. His eye crinkled.

"Maa, it wasn't an act… I'm really hurt."

Almost instantly, she hesitated, guilty, wringing her hands in her blankets.

"Well, I guess Sasuke and Naruto could share one and you could have the other..."

"And you?" Kakashi settled into the tree, cracking open his book.

"Maa, I didn't know you were so bold as to sleep with Sasuke, kids sure grow up so fast these days."

Sakura _screeched_. Her sensei calmly expected that (she hated him already) his palms covered over his ears. She didn't notice how Naruto and Sasuke stopped at the sound.

"You dirty old teach, that's not it, I swear, I'm just keeping watch!"

"Ah, 'watching', now is it?"

"Nooo!" Sakura blushed to her toes and cheeks and neck, and shook her head wildly. Kakashi giggled, seriously, the grown ninja had to cover his shifting mask with his book.

Sakura lamented what was her life, gone, she should've fell out the tree, Inner nodded in agreement. She cried internally at the unfairness of it all until she felt a large hand pat her head.

"I'm only kidding, Sakura. Why don't you take the things you've brought and all of you go to rest, really sleep." He gestured to the boys below and chuckled to himself. "I'll keep watch, hm?"

She was suspicious.

"Are you sure?" She did a once-over over the bright orange erotica, eccentricity, and the general laziness. She scowled at her findings. "You won't read your porno book, would you?"

"Me? Never."

His tone of voice wasn't the least bit reassuring. Sakura frowned.

"You can't okay, really. Otherwise…"

"Mm. Mm." Kakashi nodded with exaggeration. Past her notice and despite her advanced chakra control, he promptly pushed her, kicked her off the tall tree.

Luckily, blankets and pillows. Unluckily, _just_ blankets and pillows.

"You stupid sensei, are you trying to kill me! I could've died, ahh-!" Sakura flailed on her back as she felt a bug crawl up her side. The ninja in the trees only grinned, she could tell beneath his stupid mask.

He waved away. She groaned.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto worried, and Sasuke stood beside him. She immediately adjusted herself upright.

"I was-" she started, yet again without a plan to finish her sentence. Sakura wanted to offer them her blankets and pillows, bright floral pink in her hands, (she didn't even think of color, crap) but she didn't want them to be too stubborn to accept. And well, Sakura had originally planned on catching them unawares _after_ they knocked each other out…

Honesty is the best policy?

"Here!" She stretched out the bundles in her hands, and looked down at her bent knees. _Please take it,_ she prayed. Sakura waited with a small hope.

Tentatively, Sasuke was the first to accept the pink cotton, awkward and slow, his voice quiet. "You didn't have to," he said.

Naruto nodded emphatically, "Yeah, I mean, I'm used to the cold-" and she didn't want to hear the rest.

"Just take it, Naruto!"

"-ah, thanks, Sakura-chan."

"Hn."

When she looked up, the two ninja, her boys, had focused their eyes on the individual grounds before them, embarrassment etched across their faces. Sasuke, his ears reddened, Naruto, his neck, and Sakura… well, she was still curious.

"So why was it again that you were fighting?" Their individual blushes flared.

"Training?" Sakura gave Naruto a look. She raised a pink brow at Sasuke.

"Endurance pract-" Sakura shook her head and he stuttered in his excuse.

She sighed. With a small smile, she decided that she'd let them off the hook, too tired to argue otherwise. Sakura waved them off.

"Well, don't stop on my account, _training_. I just wanted to make sure that when the two of you finish beating the crap out of each other," Sasuke and Naruto shuffled uncomfortably. "You'll at least be _warm_."

"So…" Naruto laughed nervous, high-pitched and obnoxiously loud. "Is this like a real sleepover?"

Sakura paused to think. Then, she smiled with a nod.

"Yeah! I guess it is."

* * *

"…wait, what do you mean 'real'?"


	2. Chapter 2

On one hand was Naruto, soft tan ear between her fingertips, made bright red by the contorted tugging as she dragged him away from the Konoha training grounds.

On the other hand was Sasuke, interlocked fingers (she could squeal) to keep him from making signs to escape, and a little dose of chakra control to keep him in his place, but he didn't need to know that.

Naruto begged her for release, for reprieve, alternating between cupping his ear and pleading at her hand. Sasuke scowled and repeatedly tugged at her palm, frustrated by his lack of success. She understood their upset, really, and she hated to play the mean teammate, but that was absolutely _nothing_ to the ire she could conjure.

"Sakura-chan, please, my ear-!"

Sasuke growled.

"No." Sakura took a deep breath, and having finally reached the destination she wanted she let them go. She faced them. "This is the last time the two of you will sleep outside like _animals_ , especially when you both have perfectly good, sheltered beds to sleep in."

"You two want a sleepover?" Sakura demanded, her pink hair rising ominously. "Do it in a house, like normal kids, and not as a result of _fighting to the death_ because you two are so stubborn you need a _precursor excuse_ -"

She inhaled, exhaled, inhaled, alternating so quickly Naruto took a step back (Sasuke "leaned away"). Sakura could facepalm herself against a wall, she should've known, she should've figured it out, but there's no way anyone could predict this level of stupid…

Sakura shook her head sadly, in the back of her mind the sound of Kakashi's giggling. A crow cacawed in the late night. The moon was dim and lax against the Uchiha grounds, where they stood.

"You-!" She pointed at Sasuke first, her body shaking so intense she couldn't speak. Sakura felt a rush of worry, of love, her heart hammering when her Uchiha turned to look at her, to listen, but she had nothing to say. Sakura could only remember the nights at her parents, knowing that she's left her teammates unguarded. Sasuke, who held in his sick coughs, and spoke even less, as if to hide a sore throat.

( _Dammit_ )

"You're becoming… a liability for our team… Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, lamely, flushed red and she couldn't bear to look at him. Her finger wilted, she hugged the hand to her side. _He hates me,_ she thought and rubbed at her arm, _but in the end that's okay._

 _Right?_

Her Uchiha faltered, for the second time stunned quiet. Oddly enough, Naruto interrupted the silence.

"Hey! That's not fair, Sakura-chan!"

"And you! No one else can heal like you do," _What the hell am I saying?!_ Sakura wished she could stop her mouth but it's only too easy for her to argue. Words shoot out of her lips. "You're different from Sasuke, Naruto. You're-"

"…you're not _thinking_."

Sakura went silent, frozen at the sounds coming from her throat. Naruto too. She shut her eyes tight from incoming tears, because she had no idea what her body was doing anymore. As far as her mind goes, she said all the wrong things for the right things, and for once she wished that that wasn't true… that she didn't win the round. Of course, she did.

Sakura sniffled and rubbed at her lashes. Naruto, the sweet kid, stuttered to say something, but a whoosh of smoke and leaves blew before her sight of him. Sakura blinked away water.

"Ah. Looks like I wasn't keeping watch like I said I would." Kakashi-sensei scratched a hand behind his head. He cocked his hips to one side and looked at all three of his students, one eye considering. "What is this?"

Sasuke scowled and turned away. He made a move towards his own house, ignoring Kakashi, not a glance to Naruto. He walked past her, the breeze on her arms cold. Must be the Konoha's spring windy nights.

Her Uchiha's slow, painfully loud, steps stopped. Sakura looked up from her near-permanent focus on her feet.

He addressed her. "You're right. It won't happen again."

Sakura's breath hitched. Sasuke left. She watched as the pale boy's form disappeared behind closed doors.

"Sakura-chan." She jumped at the sound of her name.

"I'm sorry I wasn't thinking. I guess I was being… selfish. Hah," he stuffed his hands in his jumpsuit pockets and his lips stretched.

 _No, you weren't Naruto, wait-_

"Thanks for the blanket. I guess we didn't even get to use it, huh?" and Sakura's face fell apart, along with her heart. Her outstretched hand fell. "Good night," he said, before bounding away in a chakra leap.

And aside from the silent sensei a few steps away from her, she was alone.

This was the worst.

* * *

"I screwed up… didn't I?" She sniffled underneath her breath, and scraped at the floor in her frustrations.

Kakashi-sensei hummed softly, his Icha Icha gone from sight, tall form walking beside her. He was taking her home, leading her, as it was a long walk back to the village from the Uchiha grounds. The stars were dim and few, little distraction from what had just occurred.

"You did what you thought was best," he said, and she couldn't hear any judgement in his words.

"That's your way of saying I messed up. Nicely."

Kakashi-sensei smiled, small, but she could see a little twitch in his mask. "Now you're just putting words into my mouth, Sakura-kun."

"I-" she started, lips parted in speech but her throat had closed up, heavy and dry and painful to breathe. Sakura felt the tears well up in the corners of her lashes. " _I didn't mean it_ -"

Kakashi patted her head when she cried, and didn't speak a word even when a little snot escaped and her voice dribbled. Their walk had stopped, the air chilly and only a reminder, dark amongst the revered Konoha trees. Kakashi patiently waited. She hiccupped, and furiously rubbed at her face.

 _'Good job looking like a distinguished kunoichi now, Sakura. You slobbered all in front of Kakashi-sensei's face.'_

When she hitched in her breath, another round of tears raring to start, her teacher actually flustered.

"Sakura, its okay, please don't cry," Kakashi's smile strained and he messed up her hair even further with his gloved hands.

"It's not okay, sensei! Sasuke hates me!" Sakura shut her eyes tight and felt deep regret. "And Naruto…" she trailed, the twist in her belly only tightening, until it can't squeeze her any further.

"They don't hate you."

Sakura's stomach flipped, but she can't determine if it was a good kind of flip or bad.

"Don't place words in their mouths, hm?"

He crouched before her. In his squat, she was taller and his one eye looked up with a raised eyebrow. All she could think, yet, was that her blotched red teary, snotty face was on clear display. She covered her embarrassment with her hands.

"I didn't want to fight, really." Kakashi nodded, though she could see his eye somewhat unfocused. "And I'm not their mom, I just…"

"I don't get it, Kakashi-sensei! And I got upset when they wouldn't see what they were doing to themselves, because-"

"Because you care?" Her teacher offered, and stood up from his squat. Sakura craned her neck.

"Ninjas are not very ninja-like, surprisingly… In fact, we're all very much the opposite, look at Gai and Rock Lee for instance."

Sakura instantly curled her lip. Kakashi smiled.

"You could say we all have our vices, nearly comes with the job. Our own very Hokage drinks sake in the gallons and gambles away our tax money."

"That's not-"

"Your friend Ino, her sensei… Asuma smokes a pack a day, every day of the week."

"Sensei…"

"Naruto used to prank, didn't he? And your chuunin proctor, Anko," Kakashi shivered, and Sakura really didn't want to know why. "She guzzles dango in ridiculous quantities. Sometimes I wonder where it all goes…"

"And you read porn, publically, I get it, still-"

"Still," He said, cutting her off, and with a tone that warranted her full attention. "Naruto and Sasuke are also ninja with needs, despite how stupid and harmful they seem."

Sakura faltered. She clamped her lips shut. She had an inkling of where her teacher was going with this and she didn't want to interrupt him so soon.

Kakashi-sensei paused, his fingers stroked at his chin in thought. "How best can I say this? The two are very stubborn and hesitate to lose any sort of face to one another. But more importantly, they're afraid of getting hurt. Again."

She was confused. "They're already getting hurt."

"That they are and there's no argument about that. I've had a clone watch over them sleep for a few weeks now, this isn't healthy in any sense. But you know them well, don't you? You have some ideas for how lonely they are?"

"If one asked the other for anything, sleepover or otherwise, what do you think they'll say?"

Sakura thought for a moment, though it didn't take her long to speculate. "Well, Sasuke would probably call Naruto a moron and Naruto…" She twisted at her mouth, a little disgruntled. "He'd probably laugh in Sasuke's face."

 _Those two..._

Kakashi chuckled, the noise muted through his mask and tinged with a light sadness. He nodded slowly. "Unfortunately, you're right. And they know it. So for now, this 'sleepover' is purely extreme training for Sasuke, and thus agreeable to him and his – well, his sensibilities."

Kakashi tapped his chin.

"And as for Naruto. Maa… he probably thinks this is the best idea he's ever had, that he's outsmarted Sasuke into being his friend."

Oh my god. Sakura could hit a wall.

"That _idiot_."

"Yes, yes he is," Kakashi snorted humorously outright and Sakura couldn't help that a smile grow across her lips. It wasn't long until the smile widened, her teeth showing, spreading until she began to cackle.

"You shouldn't take so much enjoyment from this, that's not very nice," he said, though his mask couldn't hide his own amusement.

She bit her lip to contain herself, and wiped at the residual tears.

"Okay. I get it now. But still." Sakura face fell a little as she remembered Sasuke's words, Naruto's wilted smile, and her green eyes looked up hopefully at her teacher. There's just one more thing. "How can I fix this?"

(Is it too late?)

Kakashi-sensei ruffled her hair, and she shook her head frantically, her best attempt to dodge. That only made things worse.

The happiness could be heard within his voice. "You already did. If it's Naruto and Sasuke… I think you shook things up a bit to open their eyes a little."

"I mean, they still have their own pink blankets, don't they?"

* * *

The next time she saw Naruto and Sasuke at the bridge, they're not dead, but they're not particularly happy either.

Sakura wilted against the railing and with her sandal toed the structure beneath her. When they both arrived, they're slow, their steps loud and from opposite ends of the river banks. The two are a little muted, and she felt guilt sink in her gut.

Naruto was quiet, hadn't even said 'good morning' yet, and he avoided his eyes from her Uchiha's.

Sasuke, he's already looking better, and much less sick. But that doesn't override the fact that he's stiff and too formal in posture. He said good morning (more like muttered in response to her greeting) and now looked indefinitely out onto the water. The same boring water they see every morning.

This air was too awkward, heavy and thick, and it was all her fault-!

She bowed sharply.

"I apologize, Naruto, Sasuke-kun!"

The outburst has the other team members jolt from their respective daydreams, and Sakura… well, she took the chance.

"Sasuke. I misspoke. You're not a liability, never was, in fact I always thought you one of the strongest members in this team. In many ways," she said, and her green eyes focused on the floor, the ring-spiral designs etched along the wood of the bridge.

"You care a lot about us, don't you? About Naruto?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and she took that as encouragement. "You stood up for him when I insulted him about his manners, that he had no parents," she said as she looked up, directly at Naruto himself.

"And I didn't understand that, because I've always had someone home to wait for me." Sakura confessed, her voice low and sad. "So this time I took out my frustration and misunderstanding on you, Naruto. And I'm so sorry for that."

Konoha's number one hyperactive ninja, was quiet, stunned silent, until he slowly scratched against the back of his neck.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, I-"

She held a palm up. "No, don't excuse me, I was wrong about what I said. Because, well… you never were that different from Sasuke at all. The both of you hadn't been thinking and I've decided that you two…"

She paused before her verdict. "-you two were both being stupid."

Sasuke made a small grunt. Naruto barked a laugh and pointed a tan finger at the other boy.

"Hah! She said-"

"Don't forget about yourself, idiot!" Sakura pinched his ear, yanking him a little closer and then she flicked him back. If she aimed the blond finally a little closer to Sasuke, well, no one could catch her doing so.

(She _is_ a kunoichi.)

"Anyway. You're idiots," she said proudly, arms crossed at her chest, tone and posture upright and serious. Her Inner nodded in full agreement, humming at choice intervals. At their awkward and disgruntled faces, she nearly laughed, and she had to bite her cheek to keep her composure. She settled for a small, cool shrug. "But that's what makes you guys good friends, right?"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, on one a dark eyebrow twitched intermittently, and on the other a wide, growing grin against tanned and scarred cheeks.

Naruto folded his hands behind his head.

"He's a right bastard, any day of the week! So not friendly!"

"…what a moron."

Sakura peeked at the two, orange and blue, and smiled. Inner rolled her eyes. Of course, they would.

* * *

 **It's sad I believe fully that Sasuke and Naruto both have been scorned to the extreme where this two-shot can feasibly be canon, but that's besides the point. It's been stuck in my head nonetheless and needed to stop. They are too much, ugh.**  
 **(Plus, I've always liked the idea of a team argument, other than their love triangle. Sakura is so much fun to write~)**  
 **Anyway, thanks for reading,**  
 **-hanareader**


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